Comfort and Joy
by Akylae
Summary: The missing scene. Dark knight and the Amazon princess. Oneshot, enjoy.


Standard disclaimers apply. Made for practice, not profit.

**Comfort and Joy**

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas _

_Let your heart be light _

_From now on _

_Our troubles will be out of sight_

…

The dark knight sighed his relief as the shimmer of transporters finally faded. If Clark and Jonn stayed around a moment longer he would have burst at the seams. Ever since Diana's not so subtle hint at his identity, he had itched for an excuse to be alone around her. Weeks of waiting finally paid off now that the two had the Tower to themselves; and on Christmas Eve no less.

Convincing the others to leave them was easy enough. Scrooge as he was; they would have been surprised if the Bat _didn't_ plan on staying locked up the tower all by himself. On her part, Diana sold them the story of an invite to Audrey's regal Christmas celebration.

Except nothing could be further from the truth.

Pulling the cowl off, Bruce headed for his quarters to change into something more normal. Because Diana met and liked both of his personas, and was intelligent to know they were one and the same, there was no point left in pretending.

Dressing for the homey occasion in black jeans and burgundy shirt, Bruce picked up a number of Christmas classics from the Tower's movie collection. Merely an educational evening for the Amazon - or so he tried to convince himself.

With a twist of a dial, the lights turned down low and warm, as instrumental-only carols drifted from the speakers. Oh yes, he had a sentimental side, though one which needed to be regularly beaten back into him.

Diana appeared at the transport pad directly below the mistletoe, Wally's rare bright idea. How she managed to look stunning in just wide, brick-red turtleneck and plain white pants was beyond him. Before Bruce could make use of the situation, Diana handed over her tribute in the form of a huge gift, jokingly wrapped in an eye-sore of shiny red, green and gold. With a mixed cringe-smile, he took the load, finding it to be heavier than expected. His fault for assessing its weight by the way a meta carried it.

Once in the common room, they unpacked the 'gift', filling the air with aromas of seasonal comfort food. Bruce arranged several bowls of marshmallows, gingerbread and other sweets while Diana mixed up the chocolate-mint punch. Still, something was missing

In a moment of inspiration, he dashed over to Clark's quarters and overrid the lock to 'borrow' the man's quilt, handiwork of a Ma' Kent. Being the Tower's designer certainly had its perks, besides, it wasn't like the Boy Scout would ever find out. Or even mind if he did.

While Bruce was busy stealing, Diana took the opportunity to deliver her present. It had taken her a while to decide upon a gift, for there was no one more difficult to by for than a wealthy genius. If there was something he wanted that could be bought, he already owned it. Even if that something didn't yet exist, there was a good chance he would invent it. Yet the things that couldn't be bought couldn't be given as presents either.

After some thought, she decided for a lucky charm to embody her best wishes, which, if sincere, could only be given. So when she ran into the 'five bats' tradition, Diana was thrilled. She gave the masterful carving one last glance before dropping the pendant into the Bat's stocking.

Upon his return, the couple seated themselves leisurely on the big couch, warm quilt tossed over their laps. Diana leaned against Bruce, head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her. The snack tray stood perched on their knees while steaming mugs occupied their free hands. They sipped the punch between bites, enjoying the contrasting sensations. The warmth of the drink against the cool taste of mint, or the smooth texture against the alcohol's bite.

The slew of movies passed by, every one of them a mix of light drama and good cheer in various degrees. Under any other circumstance, it would have been death by sugar overdose, but right then it was only fitting. Diana watched the movies, her understanding of the holiday and the culture altogeater growing with each picture. Bruce, having already seen them all, opted to watch her instead.

It felt nice to just be together, wrapped in a careless ease of a slow, uneventful night. He felt he could live like this forever, a happy Diana with him and his mind on stand-by. If asked, she would second the notion without blinking.

With each subsequent movie they slipped into a deeper lounge. By the wee hours of Christmas Day, they laid lengthwise on the couch, her resting atop him, his hand toying with a stray lock of her hair. Bruce felt Diana's breathing turn deep and slow as she drifted off to sleep in his arms, the gesture as innocent as the holiday itself.

Gazing down on her, Bruce could sense her peacefulness and content infect his ever concerned being. 'Silent Night' flowed from the speakers like a fitting lullaby, and totally out of character, he caught himself humming along, not totally immune to the holiday spirit.

Diana stirred at the faint rumble of his chest, shifting in a more comfortable position. "When did you know?" She mumbled against him.

Though he didn't expect it, Bruce was not taken by the question. "When you got buried under the missile." He answered in a rush, trying not to dwell on the moment.

"When you tried to dig me out." The reply was a yawn.

Bruce smiled at the memory of her kiss, a mere peck on the cheek, their first and only so far. For tonight, that would not change. Rising to his feet, he picked her up bridal-style. Diana wanted to offer help with cleaning up, but she fell asleep before being able to speak her mind. When finally she woke in her quarters, it was late morning.

Sitting up in bed Diana noticed wearing last night's clothes, now totally crumpled. She also took note of a gift-wrapped box waiting at the foot of the bed. Inside the box were her dancing shoes, which she had forgotten in the Paris hotel in the chaos of their jury-rigged mission to Kasnia.

Studying the high healed shoes, Diana grinned at the thought of the great detective going through the labyrinth of the lost-and-found office. For an insanely wealthy mortal, time had far greater value than money. The fact he made the effort to find _her_ shoes instead of just buying her another such pair meant a lot.

With millennia of experience, Diana knew there were those that say and those that do. And Bruce sucked at words.

…

_Through the years we all will be together_

_If the Fates allow_

_Hang a shining star upon the highest bow_

_And have yourself a merry little Christmas now_

**The End**


End file.
